llanago
fully equipped rock polisher
Member since January 2004
Posts: 1,714
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Post by llanago on Jun 27, 2004 23:37:49 GMT -5
The 1000 grit? Or the tripoli? Both or just one? I just got some 1000 and tripoli and don't know what to do with it! Or when to use it. Need one of you experts to lay it out for me. Can't find the previous post/thread on the process. llana
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Post by docone31 on Jun 27, 2004 23:43:10 GMT -5
What are you tumbling? I go 60, 1week, 220 one week, 660 one week, 900 one week, polish, I was using Cerium oxide but I have been considering tin oxide lately. With most of what I have tumbled that seemed to work.
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deepsouth
fully equipped rock polisher
He who rocks last rocks best
Member since January 2004
Posts: 1,256
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Post by deepsouth on Jun 28, 2004 3:41:38 GMT -5
Hi llana, I am no expert either, but I do 60/90...220...and 660 , all for one week and then the polish. Had tin oxide and could get no more so they sent me cerium oxide. The people I deal with told me that 660 gets them ready for the final polish . Once my next batch of garnets is finished I will take a foto and post it on the net. Should be ready by late wednesday Tomorrow night I will go to rockhoundclub in Invercargill and I will ask around for you. Have a rocking good time Jack
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Mazanec
spending too much on rocks
Member since March 2004
Posts: 355
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Post by Mazanec on Jun 28, 2004 11:18:08 GMT -5
Here is the process Dave at Rocks-N-Chips told me to use: Two weeks 60/90 One week 600/F 0ne week Cerium Oxide polish. Seemed to work fine on my first batch (although I had to clean it out and sorta messed up the schedule because of a power failure). I'll let you know how batch 2 comes out.
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Post by rockyraccoon on Jun 28, 2004 16:58:02 GMT -5
llana the 1000 or the tripoli before polish should do the trick.
kim
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RiverOtter
spending too much on rocks
Member since January 2004
Posts: 339
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Post by RiverOtter on Jun 29, 2004 0:03:22 GMT -5
From what I remember James saying you use either 1000 or tripoli. It's used between your 500/600 step and polish. I use 1000 myself and have had really good results. I haven't tried tripoli. Then I figure if I've had such good results with the 1000 why go messing with a good thing!!
Otter
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Post by cookie3rocks on Jun 29, 2004 0:20:47 GMT -5
Cross your fingers for me Llana, I don't have 1000 or Tripoli, I have to go straight from 600 to polish and I'm doing that tommorrow. I'm double cleaning in borax tonight and bearing in mind I'm using a vibe... I'm nervous and excited ;D So far so good , and this will be my first good batch. They look better now than anything I've taken to polish. Sounds like either one is good. I guess if it was me I'd do 1000 to see what happens and then try Tripoli next. That's my 2 cents.
cookie
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llanago
fully equipped rock polisher
Member since January 2004
Posts: 1,714
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Post by llanago on Jun 29, 2004 9:31:39 GMT -5
Maz, just two weeks in 60/90?? Is that in a rotary tumbler or a vibe? I have yet to get anything out of the rotary after just 2 weeks in 60/90 that is ready to go to 120/220. And since I am developing a more critical eye as I get more experienced, it may end of being TWO months in 60/90! I have been experimenting on using the vibe and rotary in combination to get results faster. Cookie, I have discovered that if ya' move 'em from 60/90 too fast, ya' ain't gonna be happy with the results! As long as they are shaped and smoothed real nice, the other stages are a piece of cake. I have never had any 600 grit, so I have gone from 500 to polish and have been really happy with the results. That's been in the rotary tumbler. The batch I have in 120/220 in the vibe now is the first batch I have used the vibe for this stage on. I usually just use the vibe to start a batch in coarse and then for polishing. So, this is a new experiment for me. Am thinking I need to start using that vibe rather than have it sit silent for days at a time waiting for something to polish! This will be my first batch to use the 1000/tripoli, so I am really excited to see the difference. I just hope there's no so much difference, I decided I just have to put all my finished stones back in and redo them. I think I am going to start packaging them up to sell at the Apple Festival the end of July, so I won't be tempted to redo them!
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Mazanec
spending too much on rocks
Member since March 2004
Posts: 355
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Post by Mazanec on Jun 29, 2004 11:12:02 GMT -5
Well, I probably went longer because of the power failure...say almost two and a half weeks. Also, I "recharged" it a few times to get the "biggest" particles (I figured they were breaking down). And maybe I am not as discriminating (although everyone who sees or touches them loves them). Probably if you just go a month or more with three heaping tablespoons of course grit and not recharge it, it disintegrates to a fine grit and doesn't smooth nearly as fast. I'm doing sodalite now, which I understand is softer than flint or agate. I plan to check it tomorrow and see how it is doing, maybe recharge it (it will be five days).
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James
freely admits to licking rocks
Member since October 2003
Posts: 876
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Post by James on Jun 29, 2004 15:28:34 GMT -5
I use two basic formulas.
1st: 60/90, 120/220, tripoli, polish.
2nd: 60/90, 120/220, 500, 1000, polish.
It's that simple. Also, with the 2nd formula, I cut the 500 and 1000 grit time down to 4-5 days each.
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bschultz
starting to spend too much on rocks
Member since March 2004
Posts: 234
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Post by bschultz on Jun 29, 2004 15:59:23 GMT -5
Hi James, I find it interesting that in the 1st formula Tripoli takes the place of 500 and 1000 grit. What would make you opt to use one or the other formula?
I have a batch running in Tripoli now that is using this formula:
60/90, 120/220, 500, tripoli, polish. Seven days on each cycle.
If they come out shining to my likeing I guess it will be concidered to be a good formula, at least this time. Do you think perhaps I am wasting my time with the 500 run. The rocks in this batch are, to borrow a phrase from Llana, a mongrel batch of mostly agates and pet wood. As always, your thoughts are appreciated and valued.
Bob
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Post by cookie3rocks on Jun 29, 2004 17:42:48 GMT -5
I stared my agates in polish today and I' using an unusual formula in the vibe: 1 tablespoon cerium oxide 2 teaspoons optical grade cerium 1/2 teaspoon Chemical X I'll either get great polished agates or Power Puff Girls ;D
cookie
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duke
noticing nice landscape pebbles
Member since May 2004
Posts: 77
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Post by duke on Jun 29, 2004 23:23:34 GMT -5
Hey cookie...that sounds more like some type of 'witches brew'....want me to send you some eye of gnat? llanago...I think I saw on one of the rock shop tips that the 1000 and tripoli were both sort of a pre-polish??..regardless, good luck!! duke
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Post by cookie3rocks on Jun 29, 2004 23:36:50 GMT -5
Duke, All out of eye of gnat, but I've got some white sage and myrrh, if yore intrested... cookie
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RiverOtter
spending too much on rocks
Member since January 2004
Posts: 339
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Post by RiverOtter on Jun 30, 2004 0:37:48 GMT -5
Too funny cookie. Bought fell out of my chair. Having too young girls I can really appreciate that PPG comment!! I have some oak moss from a 1400 year old oak I can toss into the mix! Otter
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James
freely admits to licking rocks
Member since October 2003
Posts: 876
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Post by James on Jun 30, 2004 3:08:22 GMT -5
Hi James, I find it interesting that in the 1st formula Tripoli takes the place of 500 and 1000 grit. What would make you opt to use one or the other formula? I have a batch running in Tripoli now that is using this formula: 60/90, 120/220, 500, tripoli, polish. Seven days on each cycle. If they come out shining to my likeing I guess it will be concidered to be a good formula, at least this time. Do you think perhaps I am wasting my time with the 500 run. The rocks in this batch are, to borrow a phrase from Llana, a mongrel batch of mostly agates and pet wood. As always, your thoughts are appreciated and valued. Bob For the hard rocks like jasper, agate, etc... I use tripoli. In fact, it does a perfect job on moonstone too, which is about a 6 on the mohs scale. IF I decide to use 500 grit, I always add a second 1000 grit step, as I find 500 to be an inadequate prepolish. For soft stones, I prefer to use 500 then 1000. The 1000 grit is a nice, pure grade prepolish. Tripoli is basically a cheap alternative. I love it though. It works great.
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Post by puppie96 on Jun 30, 2004 4:22:35 GMT -5
This is a bunch of random comments... In the barrels I'm pretty much using James' formula 2. I started off with the prepackaged starter kit that Lortone sells. I believe (but I could be wrong) that it goes 60/90, 120/220, 700, polish. Over time I've gotten other grits, partly because of getting a vibe too. That's why no 700 anymore and 500 and 1000 instead. 100/120 is a useful grit, too. It's a good starter for vibes and I use it sometimes when I'm not totally happy with the 60/90 first week in the barrel but don't really want to subject the rocks to additional more serious 60/90 type grinding. I stick in the 120/220 week and go from there. On length of time in 60/90; I definitely expect that no more than 2 weeks in 60/90 should be needed, unless it's those *** rubies and sapphires, for which nothing works. I check the barrels often and it's a good thing, since sometimes I find it's not "slurrying" and after a couple of days it's still watery. I try to remedy this in a variety of ways -- dumping excess water is certainly high on the list, then adding something -- I've used fishtank gravel sized stuff, that helps. Also, I've got a container that I was using to wash off "test" rocks when checking the barrels. This container picks up a surprising amount of sludge in a hurry, composed of grit, mud, and whatever. Of course as it evaporates it thickens. With the barrels that don't slurry I just scoop up this glop and throw it in, usually that does the trick. I like this better than adding sugar or whatever. Once the stuff thickens up and looks like a slurry and not watery, the process is on the way. I've got it drilled in my head that if you don't get a slurry somehow, you might as well forget it. I've never tried tripoli, but there's a Raytech product called Iolox that's the prepolish in their starter kits. I like this stuff a lot but I've only used it in the vibe, and 1000 in the barrels. I discovered a Raytech product called "glossine" which is billed as a cushioning agent. I put some in with the last vibe polish that I did and I think it helped. I've polished in the same barrels I did the dirty stuff in, many times. Washed them well, no problems. Vibe's a different story. Wouldn't bet on results in a multi-use bowl. I move stuff back & forth between barrels and vibe all the time. To vibe when it seems like nothing is happening with the barrels. To barrels if I want more of a rounded shape. To whatever just because of convenience of combining batches or other considerations. I do like the jump start the vibe gives through the boring and lengthy first stage.
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deepsouth
fully equipped rock polisher
He who rocks last rocks best
Member since January 2004
Posts: 1,256
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Post by deepsouth on Jun 30, 2004 22:35:21 GMT -5
Well llana, I have asked at the club and no-one uses a finer grit than 600 as a pre-polish. I rest my case Jack
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Post by creativeminded on Jul 1, 2004 10:26:38 GMT -5
The batch I got the best results from I did 2 weeks in the first grit, I think is 60/90 1 week in the second grit, I think is100/200 1 week in the third grit, 500 1 week in 1000 grit 1 week in Tripoli 2 hours in borax 3-4 days in cerium oxide Most of the stone came out with that georgous wet look and a few of them that I have tried to polish before, are down right stubborn. I plan on following the same steps with the batch I have going now that has rose quartz, green quartz, white quartz, sodalite, and several other mixed stones that I found laying around the house. Tami
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Post by cookie3rocks on Jul 1, 2004 19:07:56 GMT -5
Tami, I Borax between every stage now. Reall makes a diffrence ;D
cookie
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